The Hindu festival of Basant Panchami, also known as Vasant Panchami, Shri Panchami, and Saraswati Panchami, is celebrated on the first day of spring and falls on the fifth day of the month of Magh. It also heralds the start of Holi preparations, which take place forty days following the feast. Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of learning, music, and the arts are honored throughout the festival.

Basant Panchami 2023: Date and Pooja timings

Basant Panchami will be commemorated this year on January 26. According to drikpanchang.com, the Panchami Tithi will begin at 12:49 PM on January 25, 2023, and terminate at 10:43 AM on January 26, 2023. The festival’s auspicious hour is from 7:12 am to 12:34 pm.

Basant Panchami 2023: History

According to legend, Kalidasa, distraught over his wife’s abandonment, planned to commit suicide by drowning himself in a river. He was about to do so when the Goddess Saraswati appeared from the water and invited Kalidasa to bathe in it. His life changed after that when he was endowed with wisdom and became a great poet.